Atheism Books

---===--- Introductory works.

For those that are "new" to atheism or are just engaging their atrophied literacy for the first time. If you're still in high school and/or attempting to overcome a lifetime of indoctrination, these are the books for you.

John Shook - The God Debates (2010)

If you run into a lot of clowns on Facebook or just want a fresh start on what this whole "God" thing is all about, this is the book you're looking for. Shook lays out the full spectrum of theology and philosophy here with an up-to-date and comprehensive account of the God debates yet manages to keep it accessible, and whoever you are, you're likely to learn from this book. This is an excellent book for high schoolers and philosophy first-timers.

J.L. Mackie - The Miracle of Theism (1983)

As the oldest book on this list, this is probably the first "modern" atheist book. Mackie lists almost all of the common theist arguments here in this extremely thorough tome and goes through the whole gallery of philosophers, from Kant, Kierkegaard, Descartes, etc. all the way up to the likes of WLC or Plantinga. I would call this book the Elements of Style of atheism. A great introductory work to the God debate.

---===--- General works.

For works pertaining to theism in general, or addressing a wider spectrum of topics.

Jordan Howard Sobel - Logic and Theism (2009)

This book is a beast. Sobel's (very expensive) doorstopper here is like a cluster bomb upon theology - a kind of upgraded T-1000 version of The Miracle of Theism. In this vast tome, Sobel lays out the complete range of theist arguments, from ontological to cosmological to Pascalian to miracles and the fine tuner. The only criticism I can level against Sobel's work here is that it is not written in a very accessible style and the sometimes mathematical language can turn off a layman reader.

Graham Oppy - Arguing about Gods (2009)

Continuing in the "cluster bomb" tradition, this recent work is another extremely up-to-date collection and analysis of theist works. Oppy runs the full gamut here and addresses not just classical philosophers, but keeps it modern with the inclusion of the likes of Dembski, Dawkins, and Plantinga.

Michael Martin - The Impossibility of God (2003)

Martin is one of the most prolific atheist authors of our time. In this anthology, he provides a veritable treasure trove of essays attacking the full range of theist conceptions of God. Martin sets out to prove that not only do the common theist definitions of "God" all contradict each other and even sometimes themselves, but that there is simply no adequate explanation of a theistic God. This is an incredibly strong book; a collection of 32 essays that might contain arguments and concepts you have never even considered before.

---===--- Advanced works.

Advanced as in addressing certain arguments or certain aspects of philosophy and theology.

J.L. Schellenberg - Divine Hiddenness and Human Reason (1993)

In this book, Schellenberg advances one principal argument - the argument from nonbelief. He attacks the main theist conception of God as a loving, anthropocentric deity and attempts to defend this argument with a range of analysis. This is a very interesting if dated book.

Nick Trakakis - The God Beyond Belief (2006)

Another "one shot" book focusing on a singular argument, this work concerns an all-time champion - the problem of evil. He attacks the existence of an anthropocentric God with the evidential existence of moral evil, and addresses all the common defenses against this argument from the appeal to mystery to the legion of free will theodicies.

Theodore M. Drange - Nonbelief and Evil (1998)

This is an oldie but a goodie. In this book Drange attempts to advance the atheist position from "I don't believe in a God" to "I disbelieve in God" and defend it as a rational and logical conclusion through a direct attack on theism with two polished showstopper arguments - the problem of evil, and the argument from nonbelief. This is a very persuasive work attacking the most common conception of "God" that people hold.

---===--- For a technical perspective.

These books have less to do with theology and philosophy and more to do with a real-world analysis of religion. These are likely to be more attractive choices for the scientifically-minded reader turned off by the philosophical language of most religion books.

Karen Armstrong - A History of God (1993)

It always saddens me a little when people don't know about this book. In this carefully-researched tome, Armstrong details the intricate history of the Abrahamic faiths, outlining how the religions evolved over time. Meticulously researched and thoroughly explained are many common religious topics, such as the evolution of paganism into monotheism, the notion of polytheism and a Trinity, the inception of Islam and the antics of Muhammad, and even the role of Eastern philosophy and the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism upon the Middle East. This is a one-stop education of history by itself.

Robert Wright - The Evolution of God (2010)

In this ambitious book, Wright launches a historical analysis of the three monotheisms, tracking the concept of a theist God from its original inception to its modern-day usage, in all of its many forms and explanations. He applies evolutionary psychology and game theory to explain the rise of theism, and outlines the evolution of monotheism and what form it may exhibit in the future.

Darrel W. Ray - The God Virus (2009)

This extremely controversial book catches the baton from the likes of The God Delusion and Breaking the Spell and runs with it, seeking to use science to analyze the nonsensical and oftentimes bizarre reasoning of religious people. For those of you who have always been atheist, such as myself, this is an invaluable resource. Ray addresses the many gaps in religious reasoning and attempts to explain them, using the metaphor of religion as a virus of the mind to display how religions are self-propagating ideas that have evolved over time to survive in light of mounting philosophical, historical, and now scientific objections. Next Ray details the influence of religion upon modern society, showing how civilization is awash in the undercurrent of religious thought, permeating all of politics and popular culture.

---===--- Concerning Christianity.

This is what probably most people care about, given that the majority of 4chan users are from Western countries. The most local problem we face is this blight named Christianity and these books specifically address this problem head-on.

Dan Barker - Godless (2008)

Those of you who have encountered the jaw-droppingly stupid No Scotsman fallacy concerning "ex-Christians" have need of this book. The author is a well-known former fundamentalist and even Christian songwriter, and in this book he details his switch from devotion to freethought, as well as launches an extremely thorough critique of the Bible, addressing the myriad of contradictions and inconsistencies, the historicity of the Biblical Jesus, and the absurdity and improbability of many Biblical claims such as the resurrection.

Bart Ehrman - Jesus Interrupted (2010)

In this deliciously satisfying book, the author, a New Testament scholar, carefully reviews and assesses the New Testament with a detailed and extremely thorough analysis of the figure we call Jesus. This is not a rant, not an attack on Christianity, this is an objective and critical analysis of the New Testament, showing how the entire Jesus myth and indeed, all of Christianity is a purposely-designed fabrication rife with contradictions, inaccuracies, and sometimes outright falsehoods.

John Loftus - Why I Became an Atheist (2008)

If you want a one-stop total critique of Christianity, this is the book you're looking for. The author is a former Christian apologist turned extremely angry and prolific atheist. In this book Loftus attacks the full span of Christianity, addressing the philosophical arguments against theism, the historical incompatibilities and inaccuracies of the Bible, and the contradictions between creationism and modern science, and throughout it all is an undercurrent of personal experience as Loftus explains his own deconversion from devout evangelicalism to enraged atheist.

---===--- Concerning atheism.

These are for the people going "Well, I'm an atheist. Now what?" There's more to atheism than eating babies and posting fake facebook conversations on 4chan. There's much more truth, beauty, and value in a universe without a celestial supervisor, where humans are free to make our own purposes and dictate our own paths. Thinking for yourself and recognizing the natural wonder of the universe is far greater than the false consolation any religion can provide you. These books show how.

Michael Martin - Atheism: A Philosophical Justification (1989)

In this book, Martin attempts a two-pronged defense of atheism: first by attacking theistic arguments regarding the implausibility of morality and purpose without God, second by defending against attacks specifically on atheism. In such a manner he makes a strong case for both negative and positive atheism. Though extremely dated, this book is a classic and a must-read for any atheist.

Erik J. Wielenberg - Value and Virtue in a Godless Universe (2005)

In this book, Wielenberg advances a naturalist philosophy and addresses the problem of nontheistic morality as weakly espoused by the likes of Dostoevsky and C.S. Lewis. First he challenges the claims of theistic morality, next he advances naturalistic ethics and displays how theological justification is unnecessary for a good and moral life. Concepts such as intrinsic morality, inherent human tendencies such as charity and altruism, and the idea of moral obligations are all addressed.

Richard Carrier - Sense and Goodness Without God (2005)

In this book, Richard Carrier, perhaps most well-known as one of the major modern debunkers of the Jesus myth, continues the trend of expanding metaphysical naturalism, but this is a more complex and thorough work covering the full spectrum of a developed worldview, addressing nearly every topic beyond just morality, and presents a complete philosophical outlook on life that is easy to comprehend and evaluate. A solid starting point for the newly atheist.